Antigua What is known for

December 5, 2006

Stay at the Verandah Resort & Spa, where every room has a deck and every deck has a spectacular view. The resort is just a short walk away from Devil's Bridge, a storied natural feature where sea foam is launched into the sky. verandahresortandspa.com

Go to the beaches. Several of Antigua's more popular beaches, Dickenson Bay among them, can get crowded, especially when cruise ships are in port. To find new terrain, hail a taxi or rent a car and head to the windward, eastern side for beachcombing and snorkeling at Long Bay or Half Moon Bay, arguably the island's most beautiful stretch of sand. Between those two lies Nonsuch Bay, where you'll undoubtedly find a secluded stretch of beach to call your own.

Sail almost anywhere. Cruisers and bareboaters alike will find friendly waters and full marine supplies here, and at most hotels small craft are available for guests. There are also round-the-island day sails and catamaran cocktail cruises for those who don't want to hold the tiller themselves. But these really are racing waters: Competitions are held on Thursdays and Saturdays all year long, and major regattas dot the calendar. Sailing Week, the grand- daddy of them all, takes place at the end of April, when hundreds of boats from around the world converge on the island for ten fun-packed days of races and parties.

Climb to the gun emplacements of Shirley Heights and survey one of the great historic sites in the West Indies - Nelson's Dockyard and the fortifications of English Harbour, which these days is filled with yachts rather than British warships. The spectacular vista extends to the neighboring isles of Montserrat and Guadeloupe. Down at the waterfront, the displays of antique sextants, compasses, and other nautical gear at the Dockyard Museum evoke the age of wooden ships.